Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and New York State Legislature Approve $105 Million to Advance Genomic Medicine

NEW YORK, April 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The New York Genome Center (NYGC) confirmed that $105 million in funding to advance genomic medicine proposed by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo has been approved by the New York State Legislature as part of the State's 2014-15 fiscal year budget.

"Governor Cuomo's commitment, supported by the Legislature, to enhancing the genomic capabilities of New York State will have profoundly positive implications on health care for patients everywhere," said Dr. Robert Darnell, NYGC CEO, President and Scientific Director. "This investment in scientific innovation helps place New York at the forefront of medical science and highlights the power of collaboration to advance revolutionary improvements in health care. The net result will ultimately be critical health care advances and, in the near term, new jobs and economic development."

This funding will support a partnership between the University at Buffalo and the New York Genome Center to advance medical science in New York using Buffalo's Center for Computational Research to enable genetic discoveries that aim to save lives by transforming how health care impacts patients.

The New York Genome Center will receive $55.75 million from the State and has committed to match it dollar for dollar with funds raised separately. NYGC is fully focused on implementing advanced genomic research and expanding its application through technology guided by world-class physician-scientists.

About the New York Genome CenterThe New York Genome Center (NYGC) is an independent, nonprofit at the forefront of transforming biomedical research and clinical care with the mission of saving lives. As a consortium of renowned academic, medical and industry leaders across the globe, NYGC focuses on translating genomic research into clinical solutions for serious disease. Our member organizations and partners are united in this unprecedented collaboration of technology, science, and medicine. We harness the power of innovation and discoveries to improve people's lives - ethically, equitably, and urgently. Member institutions include: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, American Museum of Natural History, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Columbia University, Cornell University/Weill Cornell Medical College, Hospital for Special Surgery, The Jackson Laboratory, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, The New York Stem Cell Foundation, New York University, North Shore-LIJ, The Rockefeller University, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Stony Brook University and IBM. For more information, visit: www.nygenome.org.